?Chapter 1116:

    Milton let out a mockingugh. “So none of it was on you? Everything that went wrong was somebody else’s fault? That’s a bit absurd, don’t you think? Apany of that size doesn’t just copse overnight. Are you saying neither you nor your father, as thepany’s top leaders, has any me? I’d really like to hear your exnation for the Wilson Group’s downfall.”

    Gracie struggled toe up with an answer. “Hector was behind everything. He set my father and me up. We had nothing to do with the copse. Why are you putting all the me on us?”

    Devastation threatened to overwhelm Gracie as she scanned the faces of the executives. She had worked tirelessly to build good rtions with them, seizing every opportunity to win their favor whenever she was at thepany. They had always been friendly, yet at this crucial moment, not a single one stood by her side.

    Anger surged through her, boiling over as she said, “I’m more than capable! You have all seen my resume. Why do you not believe in my ability?”

    Unmoved, the executives sat in silence, their faces nk, acting as if she hadn’t spoken at all.

    Desperation pushed Gracie to turn to Ethan. “Ethan, you know me better than anyone here. I can manage the drone project. If you won’t vouch for me now, then who will?”

    All she wanted was a chance, a way to prove her worth and feel she mattered. Why was it so hard for her to get it?

    Tears slipped down her cheeks, impossible to stop. Lately, nothing good seemed to have happened to her.

    Ethan found himself unwilling to offer Gracie any words offort while surrounded by a room full of executives, least of all with Brenna watching. Besides, the two projects had already been examined and debated in detail.

    “We’re finished here,” he said. “Milton, you’re in charge of the drone project. Otis, you coordinate with Waldo. Meeting adjourned.”

    Papers rustled as Brenna packed up her things, passing her neatly prepared proposals to Milton and Otis before she went to discuss other finance projects with Ethary.

    Watching the handoff, Gracie snatched the documents, confirming her worst suspicions — they contained thorough analyses for both the drone and Waldo initiatives, with clear figures on the market, costs, and profit forecasts.

    As the executives trickled out and the younger staff followed, only three remained in the meeting room: Ethan, Brenna, and Gracie.

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    A heavy ache settled in Gracie’s chest as she turned to Ethan. “I really thought you were on my side. I figured it was upper management keeping me out of these projects, not that you’d lost faith in me. Turns out, you see me just like they do, as a liability.”

    Ethan’s expression never changed. “Gracie,pany projects aren’t about personal feelings. Every decision affects people’s livelihoods. The drone project alone is a thirty-billion-dor investment. I have to be cautious about it.”

    Logic always came first with Ethan.

    If he let sentiment interfere, the Mitchell Group would never have reached its current sess.

    Admitting defeat, Gracie managed a nod. “I guess I was hoping for too much from you.”

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